Yann M'Vila hints he'd be open to extended Sunderland stay

Richard Mennear

On-loan Sunderland midfielder Yann M'Vila has hinted he'd be open to extending his stay on Wearside.

The 25-year-old has been the pick of the Black Cats’ summer signings after arriving on a season-long loan from Ruben Kazan.

And he has revealed he is happy and settled in the area and wants to continue playing in the Premier League for 'as long as possible'.

There is a clause inserted in M'Vila's loan deal to convert it into a permanent switch next summer, if Sunderland are still in the Premier League.

However, Sunderland are currently only paying a percentage of M'Vila's lucrative deal with Kazan, while he has previously been on the radar of Premier League heavyweights Liverpool and Arsenal.

While his long-term future remains up in the air, M'Vila's short term focus is firmly on helping the struggling Black Cats to stay up.

"I’m happy at the club with the players, with the staff, with the people that work here and I’m happy in the area," revealed M’Vila.

"When I was younger, when I became a professional footballer, they always said that for you, your league is the Premier League.

"Now I have the chance to play here and I want to stay here for as long as possible."

The French midfielder, who made just three Serie A appearances during an ill-feted loan spell at Inter Milan last season, has praised the backing of the Sunderland supporters.

He added: "At every match the stadium is virtually full and there’s more than 40,000 people; the fans are there from start to finish.

"No matter what the game is, be it against a big team from the top of the league or a team around us like Bournemouth, it’s incredible to play in the stadium, and in front of supporters like ours," he told the club's website.